This invention relates generally to a baling machine for compacting waste material and more specifically to an improved arrangement for driving and guiding the platen during the compaction stroke of the cycle.
Many forms of baling machines are known in the art. In general, they comprise a cabinet having access doors through which waste material may be loaded into the cabinet in advance of its being compressed and tied with baling wire. Prior art machines also include a mechanism, generally in the form of a movable platen, which, when actuated, is pressed downwardly on the material to be baled with relatively high force. In order to obtain a sufficiently long downward stroke of the platen, prior art machines have resorted to complex arrangements of mechanical linkages which are either motor driven or hydraulically actuated. These prior art arrangements have not been altogether successful in that they are wasteful of the energy (force) which may be obtainable from the source of motive power. Also, the prior art arrangements of which I am aware generally employ a set of wheels affixed to the sides of the platen for the purpose of stabilizing the platen during its downward travel. This arrangement suffers from a number of defects. First of all, the guide wheels do not sufficiently restrain the degrees of freedom of the platen so that during its descent and contact with an uneven mass of material to be compacted, the platen tends to tip or twist, thereby becoming bound with respect to the side walls of the cabinet. Continued application of the high forces can then damage the platen or the cabinet itself.